


Leading the Blind

by TurtleTotem



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 06:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6555748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurtleTotem/pseuds/TurtleTotem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Ikeracity and Pangea, who liked the idea of "zero experience" Cherik. (Originally on tumblr <a href="http://turtletotem.tumblr.com/post/115188169651/leading-the-blind">here</a>.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leading the Blind

“I’ve never actually done this before,” Charles whispered.

“You mean, with a man?”

“I mean, with anyone.”

And everything came to a grinding halt.

Which wasn’t at all what was supposed to happen. Erik was supposed to look fond and flattered, and sweep Charles into his worldly arms to show him how it was done. He was not supposed to freeze in place, balanced over Charles with his shirt half-off, and stare down at him in… horror? Yes, his telepathy confirmed that was definitely horror.

“I mean, I know the basics,” Charles said, with a laugh that he hoped was casual and sophisticated. “Telepath and all, I can hardly avoid knowing a few things…”

This did not seem to appease Erik at all. In fact, Erik sat back and pulled at his shirt – not putting it back on, exactly, but certainly getting most of his skin covered up again. Charles felt a flutter of panic.

“You don’t have to worry,” he said, trying to keep desperation out of his voice. “I’m not some – delicate flower, I wasn’t trying to – just forget I said anything, you don’t have to–”

Erik blurted, “But you're always – I mean–” He gestured inarticulately, and Charles, figuring this was no time for a failure to communicate, looked into his mind for the rest of the sentence. What he found was images of Charles himself, flirting shamelessly at bars and clubs during their recruitment trip, winking at Erik and telling him not to wait up…

“Oh,” Charles said faintly. “That. Well, you see, none of those really… worked out, quite. They never do, somehow.” All right, once or twice – exactly twice – some pretty young thing had actually taken the bait, but on both those occasions Charles had rather panicked and scuttled the whole thing. They’d been _girls;_ Charles wasn’t even sure he _liked_ girls.

He sat up onto his knees, the ancient springs of his grandmother’s antique bed creaking, and moved hesitantly closer to Erik. It might be a bad idea, he thought, to mention that this – on a bed with someone, with his shirt off and pants unzipped – was quite as far as he’d ever gotten with anyone. “I swear it’ll still be good,” he said instead, mortifyingly conscious that he’d lost the battle not to sound desperate. “I may not be as experienced as you’re accustomed to, but-–”

Erik barked a choking sort of laugh.

Stung, Charles drew back. “Well… fine. If you don’t want to, fine.” To his horror, he felt his eyes prickle, and quickly looked down, focused on buttoning his pants. He supposed it wasn’t Erik’s fault Charles had built up his First Time into some big deal that never would have lived up to the hype anyway–

“Don’t,” Erik said, pulling Charles’s hand away from his zipper. “I-I didn’t say I didn’t want to.”

“Well, your enthusiasm certainly seems to be flagging,” Charles said, rather snippy, and darted a glance at the swiftly-dwindling bulge in Erik’s trousers. He’d been rather looking forward to meeting that bulge in person.

Erik glanced down and winced, but didn’t let go of Charles’s wrist. “Charles, I do want to.” He knee-shuffled a little closer, licking his lips… nervously? “I just… I thought you would be the one…” His face was turning red, and for once Charles didn’t even need telepathy to identify an emotion. Embarrassment. Erik, embarrassed? His voice dropped to barely a murmur. “I’ve never done this before either.”

Charles blinked in utter, wordless shock for a long minute. He almost suspected Erik of playing with him, perhaps trying to make him feel better, but his telepathy said otherwise. Erik was telling the truth. “But,” Charles said at last. “You’ve been all over the world…”

“Killing Nazis. It’s not very romantic work. Before that, I was in a death camp. You can imagine how romantic that was.”

“But you’re…” Now it was Charles’s turn to gesture inarticulately, because Erik was Erik, dark and dangerous and passionate and… _European,_ for crying out loud. Not to mention a few years older than Charles himself. How could he never have…?

“I never wanted to,” Erik said. “I mean… I wanted to, but I never met anyone that I… that I trusted enough.”

But he trusted Charles. Enough to give him this, to be this totally vulnerable. Something in Charles’s chest warmed and softened, almost painfully tender.

“I’m sure this isn’t what you had in mind,” Erik said, looking away. “Especially not for your first… you should have someone who knows what they’re doing. Someone experienced.”

Charles put his hands on either side of Erik’s face. “I don’t want ‘someone experienced.’ I want you.”

“I want you," Erik said, low and rough and almost too quiet to be heard, and leaned in to kiss Charles – a bold, hungry motion, and only in contrast could Charles see how diffident he’d been before, how he had leaned into whatever Charles did, following his lead. Discovering that Charles knew as little as he did seemed to be a bit liberating for him – but he still pulled away afterward, uncertain, gauging Charles’s reaction.

Charles’s reaction was as brilliant a smile as his face had ever held. "Sounds like it’s settled, then.” He wrapped his arms around Erik’s shoulders, falling backward to pull Erik down on top of him. Back where they’d started.

Erik looked down at him, radiating uncertainty and anticipation and hope – and something deeper that Charles was a little afraid to examine, but knew his own heart was mirroring back. “I still don’t really know what to do,” Erik whispered, stroking the side of Charles’s cheek.

“That’s all right,” Charles said. “I’ve spent most of the week teaching people how to do things I have no idea how to do myself. I seem to have a natural talent for it.”

Erik snorted.

“We’ll figure it out together,” Charles whispered, and pulled Erik willingly down into another kiss.


End file.
